Pistol holder



Nov. 21, 1967 G. H. FREED 3,353,728

P I STOL HOLDER Filed March 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet l Mam MM r [haw I TORA/EVS Nov. 21, 1967 G. H. FREED PI STOL HOLDER Filed March 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 //v VEN TOR. GEOPGE H EQEED gym? PS I Nov. 21, 1967 e. H. FREED 3,35

' PISTOL HOLDER Filed March 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet s IIIIIIIA'IA 'IIII/ I villi/1110 INVENTOR! Geopse A 5 662:

United States Patent 3,353,728 PISTOL HOLDER George H. Freed, Pine Brook, N..I., assignor of 50 percent to Kenneth K. Klimback, West Caldwell, NJ. Filed Mar. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 536,594 24 Claims. ((31. 224-1) This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 463,106, filed June 11, 1965, entitled, Pistol Holder.

This invention relates to carrying devices and more particularly it concerns a novel pistol holder.

Over the years pistols have been worn or carried on the person by means of leather holsters which were strapped either to the waist or the chest. These leather holsters would nearly fully encase the pistol to hold it securely in place, usually in a barrel-down position. The pistol would be inserted into and drawn from the holster via a top opening therein.

As a result of the changing art of weaponry and the present day conditions under which pistols are used, certain of the disadvantages inherent in conventional leather holsters have become more acute. A major drawback of the conventional leather holster lies in the fact that in order to draw a pistol for firing, the pistol must first be lifted directly upward a distance somewhat greater than the length of its barrel until the end of the barrel clears the top of the holster. The pistol must then be leveled for aiming and firing. This severely reduces the speed of draw and has been a hindrance both in competitive shooting and in police work.

Another difficulty which arises from the use of conventional leather holsters is that their bulk makes it difficult to conceal the pistol being worn. The general bulkiness of conventional leather holsters also makes them uncomfortable to wear; and they often tend to move or shift about on the person wearing them, Further, when a pistol is inserted into these holsters there is a tendency for wedging and seizing which makes it difiicult to effect a smooth and rapid draw, as is sometimes required of police officers, and also in pistol match competition or the like.

These and other difiiculties are eliminated by the present invention. According to this invention, there is provided a novel pistol holder which is capable of holding a pistol securely and comfortably to the body of a user. At the same time, this novel holder permits the pistol to be withdrawn easily and quickly and with only a fraction of the upward movement required when conventional leather holsters are used. Further, the tendency of leather holsters to seize or grab the pistol is completely eliminated in the present invention, so that the pistol may be drawn smoothly and reliably.

Another feature of the novel holder of the present invention is that it is structurally simple and may be fabricated with a minimum of difficulty and expense. Also it may be designed to accommodate pistols either for forward draw or for cross or reverse draw; and it may be adapted to be Worn either at the waist or at the shoulder of the user. Further, the holder of the present invention permits the use of telescopic sights which are nowadays often attached to pistols aobve and along the pistol barrel. These sights are quite bulky and do not fit within a conventional holster. With the holder of the present invention these sights are readily accommodated.

The present invention involves the provision of a frame formed of substantially rigid material. Means are provided to strap or otherwise affix the frame to the clothing of a user. The frame itself includes at least one ledge element which, when the frame is being worn, extends in a horizontal direction and engages and supports the weight of a pistol carried by the frame in barrel down position. The frame is also provided with upwardly projecting means which serve to prevent lateral movement of the ice pistol from the ledge portion but which allow the pistol to be moved laterally out from the frame when the pistol is raised slightly.

In the illustrative embodiments, the frame is made of heavy wire or rod bent to form the ledge and upwardly projecting means. The wire frame may be pieced together and Welded, or, as shown in some embodiments, it may be completely formed of a single piece of wire rod. Also, as shown in some embodiments, the wire frame may be coated with a plastic or rubber-like material to prevent it from scratching the pistol.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is also provided a lower stabilizing structure forming a portion of the frame and engaging the pistol barrel near the tip thereof to prevent its tilting while on the ledge element or elements. The lower stabilizing structure may take various configurations; and, as shown in one embodiment, it may telescope to accommodate different size pistols.

According to another aspect of the invention, the means for afiixing the frame to the clothing of a wearer involves a belt loop which may be of leather, or, as shown in some embodiments, may be of the frame material itself bent to hook over a belt. In one particularly advantageous arrangement, the frame material is formed with a double loop which fits over both the belt and trousers top of the user and a leather strap, attached to an outer portion of the loop by a metal clip, extends up between the belt and trousers and over the pistol trigger guard and hooks over a projecting element on the outer side of the frame. This arrangement provides a very high degree of stability in the holder and yet the strap may be released and the pistol drawn by a mere twist and pull on the pistol handle.

Specific embodiments of the invention have been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and are shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a pistol holder embodying the invention and holding a pistol there- FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational View of a modified pistol holder embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another pistol holder embodying the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a still further pistol holder embodying the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, along lines 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 isa reduced perspective of a further pistol holder embodying the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 10;

FIG. 11a is a sectional view of the holder embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the section being taken as indicated by lines 11a11a of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a slightly modified version of the embodiment of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view illustrating a still further embodiment of the invention holding a pistol therein;

FIG. 15 is a section view taken in elevation along lines 1515 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. showing partial removal of a pistol from the holder;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a modified version of the holder of FIG. 14;

FIG. 19 is a section view taken along line 19 -19 of FIG. 18, and further showing in section the corresponding portions of a pistol supported by the holder; and

FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIG. 19 showing partial removal of the pistol from the holder.

In FIG. 1, a holder 10, forming a first embodiment of the invention, is carried on a belt 12 which is normally worn about the waist of a user. A pistol 14 is secured in the holder 10 in barrel down position.

The pistol 14 is of conventional construction; and includes a frame 16, a handle 18 and a trigger and trigger guard 20 and 22. A rotatable ammunition supply cylinder 24 is mounted within the frame 16. The cylinder 24, as can be seen in FIG. 2, is of a larger diameter than the width of the frame 16 and thus it protrudes outwardly from the sides of the frame. An elongated barrel 26 extends outwardly from the front of the frame 16 beyond the front end of the cylinder 24.

The holder 10, as shown most clearly in FIG. 3, is of rigid construction, and in the present embodiment is formed of aluminum or other metal rod bent and/or welded into the configuration shown. Basically, the holder is formed with a generally U-shaped horizontally extending ledge portion 30, a lower stabilizing structure 32 and a belt attachment 34. The U-shaped ledge portion includes a base 35 and respective inner and outer forwardly projecting ledge elements or horizontal legs 36 and 38. A pair of vertical stops 46 and 42 rise upwardly a short distance from corresponding locations near the forward ends of the legs 36 and 38. The lower stabilizing structure 32 is welded or otherwise secured to the inner leg 38, and extends nearly directly downwardly therefrom to a lowermost location 43 where it curves inwardly and then upwardly to form a barrel engaging portion 46. In transverse direction with respect to the holder 10, the barrel engaging portion 46 is located centrally between and below the inner and outer legs 36 and 38 and, with respect to the lateral or fore and aft direction of the holder 10, the portion 46 is located with respect to the vertical stops 4t), 42 such that the portion 46 is aligned with the axis of the pistol barrel 26 when the respective cylindrical surface elements of the pistol cylinder 24 are abutting the stops 40, 42, as shown.

The belt attachment 34 is connected to and forms an upper extension 48 of the innermost vertical stop 42. This upper extension is bent back upon itself in a downwardly extending folded back portion 50 which defines a narrow belt opening 52 with the upper extension 48. The folded back portion 59 extends downwardly to a short distance below the ledge portion 30 from which it extends back in a horizontal direction to form a horizontal portion 54, which terminates in a slightly outwardly protruding end portion 56.

As illustrated most clearly in FIG. 2, the belt opening 52 accommodates the width of the belt 12 over which it is placed, while the outwardly projecting end portion 56 of the belt attachment 34 fits just under the lower edge of the belt 12. Thus, the holder 10, with its ledge portion 30 maintained in a horizontal position, is supported on the belt 12 as shown.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pistol 14 rests in the holder 10 with the front end 24a of its cylinder 24 resting upon the ledge elements or legs 36 and 38. The base 35 of the U-shaped ledge portion 30 fits around the pistol frame 16 and thus serves as a stop to prevent rearward lateral movement of the pistol 14. The upwardly projecting vertical stops 4t) and 42, against which the cylindrical surface of the cylinder 24 abuts, prevent direct lateral movement of the pistol in a forward direction out from the holder 10. The barrel engaging portion 46 extends upwardly a short distance into the barrel 26 of the pistol 14, and thereby prevents lateral movement of the lower or front end of the barrel in any direction so that the pistol is securely seated in the holder 11 In this connection, it will be noted that the diameter of the rod which forms the portion 46 is less than that of the pistol barrel so that the latter is accommodated thereon and that, since the pistol is supported by the horizontal legs 36, 38, it is not necessary that the portion 46 or the bend 43 of the lower supporting structure actually provide or contribute to the vertical support for the pistol 14.

The pistol 14, to be drawn for firing, needs merely to be raised in an upward direction to an extent sufiicient to allow the front end 24a of the cylinder 24 to clear the top of at least the outer Vertical stop 40 and to allow the end of the barrel 26 to ciear the barrel engaging portion 46 (although the latter is preferably shorter than the stop 40, as illustrated in the drawings). The pistol may then be moved forwardly out from between the ledge legs 36 and 38 via the spacing therebetween at the forward end of the holder as shown, and brought immediately to a vertical position for firing. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this arrangement permits a much faster and smoother draw than is obtained using conventional leather holsters which require the pistol to be pulled upwardly a considerable distance until the tip of its barrel clears the top of the holster before it can begin to be leveled and brought to a firing position. In the present case, the Withdrawal of the pistol from the holder and the motion for leveling the pistol for firing take place virtually simultaneously.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a pistol holder 60 according to the present invention and modified to accommodate a pistol worn for so called cross-draw or reverse withdrawal. Alternatively, and excepting for the positioning of its lower stabilizing structure 32 as will be described, the FIGS. 4 and 5 embodiment may be considered as a left-hand arrangement of the FIGS. 1-3 embodiment for left-handed nimrods wearing the holder in manner for conventional draw of the pistol as previously described.

In this modified arrangement, the holder 60 is attached as aforedescribed to the belt 12 but is worn on the Wearers left side, or the side opposite to the wearers firing hand. The holder is arranged to mount a pistol with the end of its handle extending forwardly of a right-handed user as in conventional cross-draw practice. However, the ledge portion 30 in this embodiment is arranged with its base 35 in a rearward position so that the pistol is withdrawn forwardly of the user throguh the spacing provided between the forward ends of the legs 36 and 38. Because the pistol in this modified embodiment faces in a different direction with respect to its direction of draw than it does in the first embodiment, the lower stabilizing structure 32a in this embodiment is positioned more toward the base 35 of the U-shaped ledge portion 30. The belt attachment portion 34 of the modified embodiment may be identical to the belt attachment portion 34 of the first embodiment, although as will be readily apparent, it is arranged to mount the holder on the side of the righthand wearer opposite his firing hand and with the open ends of the ledge legs 36 and 38 facing forwardly of the wearer. Thus, the wearer reaches diagonally across his body with his firing hand and grasps the forwardly facing pistol handle and lifts upwardly a short distance until the cylinder 24 clears the outer stop 40 and the barrel 26 clears the barrel engaging portion 46. The pistol may then be moved laterally out from the holder and brought smoothly and rapidly to firing position virtually in one motion.

Another feature of this embodiment lies in the provision of an outer coating (shown in dotted outline at 64) of plastic, rubber, or similar soft material which protects the pistol from nicks and scrapes. This coating can, of course, be applied to any of the arrangements described herein.

A further arrangement, shown in FIG. 6, provides for an alternate belt attachment and an alternate form of lower supporting structure as may be incorporated in the holder.

According to this embodiment, there is provided a belt skirt 50 having a pair of vertical slots 52 and 54 through which the belt 12 is threaded. The skirt 50, which may be of a semi-rigid material such as heavy leather, hangs down from the belt 12 and secures the remainder of the pistol holder. The pistol holder of this embodiment, as in the previous embodiments is of wire rod construction and formed to define a U-shaped ledge portion 30 having a base 35, a pair of ledge legs 36 and 38, a pair of vertical stops 40 and 42 at the open ends of the ledge legs, and a lower stabilizing structure 51 with a barrel engaging portion 56. The lower stabilizing structure 51 extends up and behind the skirt 50 and is attached as by welding to the inner ledge leg 36 via an opening 58 in the lower portion of the skirt 50 as shown, the flexibility of the skirt 50 making it unnecessary to provide a bend at the upper end of the structure 51 where the attachment is made. The inner ledge leg 36 extends horizontally outside the skirt 50 as does the inner vertical stop 42. The inner vertical stop 42 however is provided at its top with a bent over hook 60 which extends through a second opening 62 in the belt skirt 50. The holder is then securely attached via the belt skirt 50 to the belt 12.

The holder of FIG. 6 is shown with a modified barrel engaging portion 57. In this modified version, the end of the downward extension 51 is formed with a ring 59 which extends about the outside of a pistol barrel near its tip. As in the first described form, this modified barrel engaging portion 56 serves to prevent lateral movement of the pistol barrel while permitting the barrel to become disengaged by raising it slightly. The ring 59, while somewhat more complex than the upwardly protruding portion 46 of the first embodiment, avoids contact of the lower stabilizing structure with the inside of the barrel, as may be desirable for obvious reasons.

A still further holder is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. This further embodiment, like the previously described embodiments, is basically of metal rod construction and formed to define a generally U-shaped horizontal ledge structure 61 and a lower supporting structure 62.

One important feature of this holder lies in the provision of.a telescoping arrangement in the lower stabilizing structure 62, so that the holder can accommodate pistols of various barrel lengths. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lower supporting structure 62 comprises an upper tubular member 66 into which fits a lower insert member 68. A setscrew or pin 70 is provided to hold the upper and lower members at any given relative position, a number of pin openings 71 being formed in the member 68 at appropriate spaced apart locations along its length corre sponding to the necessary adjustments to accommodate a range of sizes of conventional barrel lengths. A cotter pin 70a, 'passed,through a diametrical opening in the pin 70 at its rearward end, holds the pin 70 in place as shown in FIG. 8.

The embodiment'of FIGS. 7 and 8 also makes use of a modified belt attachment arrangement. This modified arr'angement includes a leather or similar belt loop 72 which fits closely around a belt. The loop 72 may be provided with snaps 74 so that it may be removed from the belt without having to remove the belt itself. The inner leg of the horizontal ledge structure 61 extends through and along the bottom of the loop 72 and is bent back as at 76 to secure it in place on the loop. An opening 78 is provided along the bottom of the loop 72 to accommodate the top of the lower supporting structure 62.

The holder'of FIG. 9 shows a modified belt attachment means comprising forward and rearward folded back belt accommodating portions 80 and 82 extending from the inner leg of the ledge portion 30. The lower ends of these folded back portions are connected together at 84 and theycooperate to enhance the overall stability of the device.

FIGS. lO-13 show a further embodiment of the invention involving several additional features. As can be best seen in FIG. 12, this further embodiment including the belt attaching portion, is formed of a single piece of rigid wire rod. Beginning at one end 86 of the wire rod, there is formed the barrel engaging portion 46, followed by an upward bend 43 and the lower stabilizing structure 32. At the height of the ledge portion 30, the wire rod is bent back and extends, at 88 immediately adjacent the inner ledge leg 36. At region of the base 35 of the ledge leg 36, the wire rod bends upwardly to form an outside portion 90 of a rear attachment loop 92. It thereafter bends back downwardly at 94 to form an inside portion 96 of the rear loop 92. The inside portion 96 extends down well below the level of the ledge portion 30 and toward its lowermost extent it curves slightly outward as at 98. This provides a locking effect to ensure that the loop 92 will not readily slip off from the belt and trousers of a user.

The wire rod extends forwardly from the rear loop 92 to a forward attachment loop 100 where it bends upwardly to form an inside portion 102 thereof. It then bends back down at 104 to form an outer loop portion 106 which joins the inner ledge leg 36.

The embodiment of FIGS. 10-12 is designed to accommodate a Grosman .22 calibre pistol, and accordingly, the outer ledge leg 38 angles outwardly toward its front end to accommodate the particular structural configuration of this pistol.

As shown in FIG. 12 a strap 108 is attached to the horizontally extending portion 88 of the frame by means of a looped over sheet metal clip 110. The strap is attached to the clip by means of a fastener 112 which allows pivotal movement between the two elements. The other end of the strap 108 is formed with a hole 114 which fits over a lateral projection 116 at the upper end of the outer vertical stop 40.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10, l1 and 11a, when a pistol 118 is worn by a user, the front and rear attachment loops 100 and 92 fit over both the belt 12 and the top of trousers 120 of a user. At the same time, the metal clip extends up in between the belt 12 and the trousers 120. The length of the clip 110 is such that it will accommodate a variety of belt widths and still provide a rigid connection between the horizontally extending portion 88 of the frame and the belt 12.

The strap 108 extends up from the clip 110, between the belt 12 and trousers 120, and around the trigger guard 22 of the pistol 118. As stated previously, the other end of the strap 108 is hooked onto a lateral projection 116 on the outer vertical stop 40. This arrangement, wherein the front and rear attachment loops 100 and 92 extend over both the belt 12 and trousers tops 120, and wherein the strap 108 proceeds between the belt and trousers and around the trigger guard 22, provides an especially stable and secure mounting for the pistol. The pistol is held down on the holder by the strap 108; and the strap further serves to hold the pistol from tipping or turning while it is being carried. At the same time, this strap arrangement is readily unlatched by flipping it off from the projection 116. This may be done with the same action used in drawing the pistol, so that the advantages of a fast draw are preserved. Even when the strap 108 is unlatched, the strap and clip arrangement coming up along the inside of the belt 12 cooperate with the belt loops 92 and 100 which come up along the outside of the belt to keep the holder securely attached to the clothing of a user during the drawing of the pistol.

FIG. 13 shows a holder construction similar to that of FIGS. 10-12, except that in this construction the strap 108 and clip 110, and, of course, the lateral projection 116 are omitted. Also, the outer ledge leg 38 extends parallel to the inner ledge leg 36 to accommodate the more conventionally formed cylinder type pistol. As shown in FIG. 13, the entire holder is made of a single 6' elongated rigid element such as wire rod bent to holder configuration. This rigid element, as shown in the cut away portion is of composite construction, comprising a metal rod core 122 covered by a plastic or rubber-like substance 124 for protection of the pistol.

In the arrangements described thus far, the ledge arrangement supports the front end of a pistols ammunition cylinder. Certain pistols however have no ammunition cylinder as such. For example, such cylinders are not found in most automatic pistols. Accordingly, the ledge arrangement is modified to better suit these cylinderless pistols.

FIGS. 15-20 show various views of two pistol holder configurations according to the present invention and adapted for use with automatic or other cylinderless pistols. Both these pistol holder configurations, like those previously described, are bent from rigid elongated stock such as metal wire rod; and, as indicated previously, they may be coated to protect the pistol from scratches or nicks.

The first of these latter two holder configurations is shown in perspective in FIG. 17, and as can be seen is bent from a single piece of wire rod. Beginning at one end 126, there is formed a barrel engaging portion 128 followed by an upward bend 12 leading to a lower stabilizing portion 130 which extends up the outside of the holder. About midway up the lower stabilizing portion, the wire rod is bent to a horizontal U-shaped configuration 132 and from there extends up on the inside of the holder as at 133 to a first rearwardly extending horizontal portion 134. At the rear of this portion, the wire rod bends upwardly and then downwardly to form a rear attachment loop 136, the bottom of which extends below the horizontal portion 134. The wire rod extends forwardly as at 135 from the bottom of the rear loop 136, a front attachment loop 138 which it forms by extending upwardly and then back down to a second rearwardly extending horizontal portion 140 which lies immediately alongside the first rearwardly extending horizontal portion 134.

In the vicinity of the rear attachment loop 136 the wire rod bends outwardly from the horizontal portion 140 to form a trigger guard back rest 142; and from there it bends forwardly as at 144 and then down, in and up, to form a trigger guard bottom rest 146. From this point, the wire rod continues upwardly but bends outwardly and slightly rearwardly to form a forward stop portion 150.

FIG. 14 shows a pistol 152 of the automatic variety nested in the holder just described. The holder is secured to the belt 12 and trousers as in previous arrangements and the pistol 152 extends into the holder in conventional barrel down position. The weight of the pistol in the present arrangement, however, is supported by the action of the trigger guard bottom rest 146 cradling what is normally considered the forward portion of the trigger guard 22 of the pistol. Both the barrel engaging portion 128 and the horizontal U-shaped configuration 132 cooperate to give a stabilizing effect to the lower or barrel region of the pistol. The trigger guard back rest 142 extends around what is normally considered the bottom of the trigger guard 22 and prevents rearward lateral movement of the pistol. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 15, the forward stop portion 150 extends across the inside of the trigger guard 22 and prevents it from moving laterally in a forward direction.

As can be seen in FIGS. 15, 16 and 17, the trigger guard bottom rest 146 and the forward stop portion 150 together form a loop lying in a vertical plane. The loop has an opening 154 and this opening is of suflicient size to accommodate the width and/or thickness of the trigger guard 22. Thus, as shown in FIG. 16, the pistol 152 is drawn by lifting it upwardly and outwardly, in the direction of the arrow 156, until the trigger guard 22 clears the loop opening 154 and the barrel of the pistol clears the barrel engaging portion 128.. After this slight lifting 8- action is completed, the pistol may then be moved in a forward direction to bring it out of the holder and to a firing position in a single smooth motion.

The second arrangement for use in connection with automatic pistols is shown in FIGS. 182'0. This second arrangement, like the arrangement just described, is formed of a single piece of elongated rigid stock such as wire rod. Thus it requires no Welding or similar assembly operation. Beginning at one end 160, the wire rod first forms a barrel engaging portion 162. It then bends upwardly to form a lower stabilizing portion 164 which extends upwardly along the inside of the holder to a first rearwardly extending horizontal portion 165. Toward the rear of the holder, this first rearwardly extending portion 165 bends outwardly and then back inwardly to form a horizontal U-shaped configuration 167 having a front leg 166 which acts as a rearward lateral stop, and a rear leg 168 which acts as a forward lateral stop.

From the rear leg 168 of the U-shaped configuration 167, the wire rod bends upwardly and forms rear and front belt attachment loops 170 and 172 similar to the loops 136 and 138 described in connection with preceding arrangements. The front loop 172 in the present arrangement extends down below the first rearwardly extending portion 165 however, and then bends into a second rearwardly extending portion 174. Just ahead of and below the front leg 166, the elongated stock bends outwardly to form a trigger guard bottom rest 176, and from there it bends upwardly and forwardly as at 178 to form an outer lateral stop 181). A lateral projection 182 is located at the tip of the outer lateral stop and this is used to latch a strap 182 which is attached by means of a metal clip 184 to the first rearwardly extending horizontal portion 165. The strap 182 operates in the same manner as the strap 1138 described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 10-1'2.

Turning now to FIGS. 19 and 20, it will be seen that the weight of the pistol is borne by the trigger guard bottom rest 176 on the forward portion of the pistols trigger guard. Outward lateral movement of the pistol is precluded by the outer lateral stop 180. Forward lateral movement is intercepted by the action of the rear leg 168 acting against the inside of the trigger guard 22 while rearward lateral movement is intercepted by the action of the front leg 166 acting against the pistol itself inside the trigger guard.

It will be noted from FIGS. 19 and 20, that there exists a space 186 between the U-shaped configuration 167 and the outer lateral stop 180. The pistol is removed from the holder simply by twisting it in the direction indicated by the arrow 188 in FIG. 20 so that the trigger guard 22 can be brought up through the space 186. This clears the trigger guard from the rear leg 168 and allows the pistol to be moved forwardly out from the holder.

It will be appreciated from the above that other materials and configurations may be employed in place of the wire rod arrangements which have been described. For example, any substantially rigid material, such as plastic, may be used. Also, where plastic is used, it may be molded as a continuous shell. In all such modifications, of course, the holder must be provided with spaced apart ledges, a lower stabilizing structure, and the required front and top openings so that it may perform as above described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A holder for carrying a barrel-type firearm or the like on the person, comprising a frame and means for mounting said frame in a given position on the person, said frame in said given posit-ion including laterally extendng rigid ledge means upon which a barrel tip facing portion of the firearm can rest, and which serves to support the firearm in barrel-down position, said frame in said given position further including restraining means for restraining the firearm against lateral movement in any direction on said ledge means, and barrel engaging stabilizer means located below said ledge means and so configured that when said restraining means is engaged by the tip of the pistol barrel one of the two is substantially surrounded by the other to provide non-yieldable lateral restraint, *while allowing free relative movement in a vertical direction, said ledge means, said restraining means, and said stabilizer means all being of substantially rigid, non-movable construction and rigidly mounted in fixed positional relationship to each other to define an opening in the side of said holder capable of accommodating unrestricted lateral egress of said pistol out from said holder when said pistol has first been raised so that its barrel tip has cleared said stabilizer means but has not yet cleared said restraining means, whereby said holder operates without use of movable parts to hold a pistol securely in place, and yet releases said pistol for lateral drawing movement upon a slight lifting movement of the pistol.

2. A pistol holder as in claim 1 wherein said ledge means comprises a substantially coextensive pair of parallel and horizontally extending substantially rigid ledge elements supported in unobstructed spaced apart relationship substantially throughout their lengths including at least one of the cofacing ends of the pair, said lower stabilizing structure depending from at least one of said ledge elements and extending to a central location between and spaced below said ledge element.

3. A pistol holder as in claim 2 wherein said restraining means comprises at least one vertical stop extending upwardly from one of said ledge elements at its said one cofacing end.

4. A pistol holder as in claim 2 wherein said ledge elements form the legs of a U-shaped structure.

5. A pistol holder as in claim 3 wherein said restraining means comprises a pair of stop elements each extending upwardly from a correspond-ing location on the respective opposite legs of said U-shaped structure adjacent the open end of the latter.

6. A pistol holder as in claim 1 wherein said frame is formed of substantially rigid rod shaped material shaped to define a U-shaped horizontal ledge structure.

7. A pistol holder as in claim 1 wherein the lower end of said stabilizing structure is of rod-like configuration and bent to extend upwardly a short distance into the tip of said downwardly oriented pistol barrel.

8. A pistol holder as in claim 1 wherein said lower stabilizing structure is of extensible length to accommodate various pistol barrel lengths.

9. A pistol holder as in claim 8 wherein said lower stabilizing structure is of rod like configuration and includes a tubular portion and in insert portion in telescoping arrangement, and a setscrew holding said lower supporting structure at a given degree of extension.

10. A pistol holder as in claim 6 wherein the end of at least one of the legs of said U-shaped ledge structure is bent to extend upwardly a short distance when said ledge configuration lies in a horizontal plane, thus to form said restraining means.

11. A pistol holder as in claim '6 wherein the end of at least one of the legs of said U-shaped ledge structure is bent to extend upwardly a short distance when said ledge configuration lies in a horizontal plane, and wherein means are arranged to attach the other leg of said U- shaped ledge configuration to a belt in a manner supporting said configuration in a horizontal plane.

12. A pistol holder as in claim 6 wherein said U-shaped ledge structure and said lower stabilizing structure are covered with a coating of soft material.

13. A pistol holder as in claim 11 wherein the other end of said U-shaped ledge configuration is bent upwardly and then downwardly to form a belt attachment hook.

14. A pistol holder as in claim 13 wherein said other end of said U-shaped ledge configuration is bent upwardly and then downwardly away from the U-shaped configuration to form a belt attaching hook, said other end then extending back along said U-shaped configuration for hooking under the lower edge of a belt passing through said belt attaching hook.

15. A pistol holder as in claim 13 wherein the end of said other leg is bent back along said U-shaped configuration to form a belt loop attaching hook, said holder further including a belt loop for encircling a belt, said belt loop passing around said other leg and hooked over by said belt.

16. A holder according to claim 1 wherein said restraining means comprises projecting means on said ledge means.

17. A holder according to claim 1 for an automatictype pistol firearm having a trigger guard, wherein said ledge means comprises lateral projecting means for engaging an exterior surface of said trigger guard of the firearm, and said restraining means comprises lateral projectin-g means for engaging an interior surface of said trigger guard, the first and second said lateral projecting means being spaced apart with respect to each other for passage of said trigger guard surfaces therebetween.

18. A holder according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises means for securing said holder to a belt on the body of the person, said belt securing means comprising vertically extending inverted U-shaped means projecting laterally outward of said ledge means, the spacing between the leg portions of said Ushaped securing means facing said open end of the holder.

19. A holder according to claim 18 wherein one of said leg portions of said U-shaped securing means projects upwardly from said ledge means substantially at said front end of the holder whereby said one leg portion provides at least a part of said restraining means.

20. A holder according to claim 18 wherein said ledge means, said restraining means, and said mounting means are integrally formed.

21. A holder according to claim 18 wherein said mounting means further comprises substantially rigid cli means pivotally mounted on said ledge means for movement to and from an upwardly projecting position thereof with respect to said ledge means.

22. A holder according to claim 21 for a firearm having a trigger guard which presents an upwardly facing surface when the firearm is in its said position, wherein said clip means is disposed at one side of said positioned firearm, and wherein said holder has firearm retention means comprising flexible strap means attached at one of its ends to said clip means, and strap connection means disposed in fixed position at the opposite side of said positioned firearm, the opposite end of said strap means having engagement means for engaging said strap connection means, and the length of said strap means being such that the strap means firmly engages said upwardly facing trigger guard surface when said firearm is in its said position and said engagement means of the strap means engages said strap connection means.

23. A holder according to claim 1 for a firearm having a trigger guard, wherein said restraining means comprises lateral projecting means at a location spaced rearwardly from said open end of the holder for engaging said trigger guard of the firearm.

24. A holder according to clairn 1 wherein said ledge means comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart ledge elements respectively disposed at opposite sides of said firearm when the latter is in its said position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,768,177 '6/1'930 Wanee 2242 2,109,734 3/1938 Preneta 2242 2,764,326 9/1956 Stanton 224-1 2,958,448 11/1960 Leclerc 224-5 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. F. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HOLDER FOR CARRYING A BARREL-TYPE FIREARM OR THE LIKE ON THE PERSON, COMPRISING A FRAME AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID FRAME IN A GIVEN POSITION ON THE PERSON, SAID FRAME IN SAID GIVEN POSITION INCLUDING LATERALLY EXTENDING RIGID LEDGE MEANS UPON WHICH A BARREL TIP FACING PORTION OF THE FIREARM CAN REST, AND WHICH SERVES TO SUPPORT THE FIREARM IN BARREL-DOWN POSITION, SAID FRAME IN SAID GIVEN POSITION FURTHER INCLUDING RESTRAINING MEANS FOR RESTRAINING THE FIREARM AGAINST LATERAL MOVEMENT IN ANY DIRECTION ON SAID LEDGE MEANS, AND BARREL ENGAGING STABLIZER MEANS LOCATED BELOW SAID LEDGE MEANS AND SO CONFIGURED THAT WHEN SAID RESTRAINING MEANS IS ENGAGED BY THE TIP OF THE PISTOL BARREL ONE OF THE TWO IS SUBSTANTIALLY SURROUNDED BY THE OTHER TO PROVIDE NON-YIELDABLE LATERAL RESTRAINT, WHILE ALLOWING FREE RELATIVE MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION, SAID LEDGE MEANS, SAID RESTRAINING 